Brimfield Antique Shows and Ruby Lane present: An Afternoon with Leigh Keno Appraisal Event to benefit local charities. Have your special items appraised by star appraiser and TV personality Leigh Keno. Or just come, watch and learn from Leigh's exciting and innovative approach. Our event takes place on Saturday, September 11 at 2pm on Hertan's field. Submit your items now to [email protected]! Tickets are $20. and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to local charities. Parking for the event is free on Hertan's field beginning at 1pm.
Leigh Keno is founder and president of Keno Auctions. Leigh has volunteered for over 24 years as an appraiser on the Emmy nominated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow. In 2000, Leigh co-authored Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture, which recounts some of his most memorable discoveries of American masterpieces. Leigh has co-hosted: the internet program “Collect This” for MSN; the television series “Find” for PBS and ‘Buried Treasure’ for the Fox network.
Leigh holds a BA in Art History from Hamilton College, and was a graduate fellow at Historic Deerfield and Visiting Scholar at Winterthur Museum. Starting in 1979, Leigh worked as a buyer, appraiser and Director of the American Furniture and Decorative Arts Department at Doyle Galleries in New York City as well as a Vice President of Christie’s Appraisals and Expert in Christie’s American Furniture and Decorative Arts department.
In 1986, Leigh opened his own gallery and founded Keno Auctions in 2009. The firm has thrived since its first auction- which grossed just over $6 M. Since then, Keno Auctions has continued to thrive, setting multiple world records with fine and decorative arts ranging from the 17th century through modern and contemporary art. In the company's first two years of existence, 13 million dollars worth of fine and decorative arts was sold to buyers globally. During his nearly 50 years in the art and antiques world, he has helped build some of the top institutional and private collections of paintings, furniture and decorative arts in the world. and has advised or represented some of the country’s leading museums including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Colonial Williamsburg, Winterthur Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
For 24 years, Leigh was an exhibitor and served on the American furniture vetting committee as well as Director of Vetting at the prestigious Winter Antiques Show in New York. In 2001 he was appointed to serve for a decade by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service to its Art Advisory Panel in Washington, D.C.. In 2005 the President of the United States awarded Leigh the National Humanities Medal for his role as an educator in the field of American History and Artifacts.
Leigh has been a member of numerous professional dealer organizations, including the National Antique & Art Dealers Association (NADA), and the Antique Dealers Association of America (ADA) and a founding member of the Shelburne Museum National Advisory Committee. Leigh is a USPAP certified member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) and was a member of their board of directors for three years. Since 2006, Leigh has been a judge in the Preservation Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, considered the most prestigious classic car event in the world.